It is common to apply latex to the back of carpets, rugs, and other types of textile products. The latex backing provides stability, washability, and a non-skid surface. The latex generally is pumped and applied to the carpeting as a liquid foam stream. The foam is then heated and cured to form the backing.
The latex is generally a combination of natural and synthetic rubber as well as activating agents and other types of materials. As the cost of virgin latex has increased, it is becoming more common to add various types of fillers and other types of solids to the liquid latex. The use of fillers and other types of solids has the advantage of reducing the overall cost of the rubber backing. The addition of the fillers also permits the use of less water in the liquid latex formulation. The use of less water in the formulation may promote faster drying and/or the use of less energy in the curing process.
Although the use of fillers and other types of solids may be common, the fillers and/or solids are generally mixed in with the liquid latex formulation well prior to the actual application of the liquid latex formulation to the carpeting or other types of textile products. In other words, the liquid latex solution generally comes premixed with the fillers. The latex applicator thus does not have the opportunity to mix in whatever types of fillers or solids may be on hand and/or may be less expensive.
There is thus a desire therefore for improved methods and systems for adding fillers and other types of solids to a liquid latex formulation. The methods and systems should allow the applicator to mix in whatever types of fillers or solids may be available while providing a high quality carpet backing.